A day in the life of Amsterdam

Infographic | 29-05-2016

The city of Amsterdam changes day by day. Population numbers have increased since the 1990s, and this trend is expected to continue well into the 21st century. Amsterdam was not always this popular. In the 1970s and 1980s, many families turned their backs on the small city apartments in favour of single-family dwellings in suburbs or new towns such as Alkmaar, Hoofddorp, Hoorn, Purmerend, Lelystad and Almere. Many businesses also vacated the city for accessible locations along the motorways where space was cheap and plentiful.

The tide turned in the 1990s. Amsterdam became more attractive for young people and families. Trendy neighbourhoods, such as the Jordaan, began to attract young, well-educated and well-paid people, who valued the charming historic surroundings and copious cultural attractions over physical space. New urban redevelopment projects were developed on both the western and eastern side of the city.

Between 1980 and 2010, the population in Amsterdam increased from 715,000 to 790,000. It is expected that Amsterdam will stay a popular place of residence in the future and that the city will reach a population of around 925,000 inhabitants by 2040.

Source data

This infographic on population change in Amsterdam is based on data provided by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The future projection is based on calculations by PBL and CBS (2013).

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